NON WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS IN SUDAN

by
Mr. Mohammed Ezeldeen
Co-ordinator for the National
Forest Inventory Administration

and

Mr. Abdel Rahim Osman
Head of Afforestation

1. Introduction

This report covers the production, use, importance and other various topics concerning the NWFPs in Sudan. Sudan lies almost entirely within the tropics. It is the one of the largest countries in Africa (2,505 813 km2). This large area covers different climatic types: desert in the north to the high rainfall savannah in the south. The estimated population is 26 million and the country receives its principal revenue from agriculture and animal resources.

2. Non-woods goods and services

The important NWFPs on the national level are mainly gums (e.g. gum Arabic - Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal, gumloban-Baswellia papyrifera, gum tartar - sterecutia setigera.). Besides, the Sudanese use NWFPs for a variety of purposes such as:

Food: dom - Hyphane thebaiera, doleib - Borassus acthiapum, gudiem - Grewia tenazx, aradeib-tamarindus indica, gongleiz-Adansonia degitata, Laloub-Balanites aegyptiaca, nabag-ziziphas spp.)

Medicinal Plants: Gongliz, aradeib, gudeim, garad-Acacia nilotica, senamaeca-cassia senna, arak-salvadora persica.

Fibres: Saaf-Borassus acthiopum.

Tannis: Garad-Acacia nilotica.

Dyestuffs: Henna-lawsonia inermis

Beeswax

Important NWFPs on the local level are:

Fodder: Zizphus spp., Acacia spp.

Edible oils: Butyrospermum parkii, Laloub-Balanites aegypticaca.

Honey

Recently, NWFPs have gained considerable importance in Sudan because of the following reasons:

NWFPs are developing high market value;

The use of NWFPs as food staff is becoming more familiar;

During the critical periods of drought and famine;

Increased public awareness abut the socio-cultural use of the NWFPs; and

The exponential development in the use of NWFPs in many industries.

Due to the above remarks, intensive utilisation took place and lead to negative affection of the resource base. Most of NWFPs mentioned are exploited from natural resources (e.g. food and fodder products). Only henna (Lawsonia inermis) is cultivated, but gum spp. and Acacia spp. have been widely planted.

The NWFPs are collected by the general population during the harvesting season from natural forests in remote areas and nearby stands.

The destination of the NWFPs for domestic use are: dom, saaf, laban, garad, gongliz, aradeib, senameda, henna; For export: gum Arabic, aradeib, gum loban, gongliz, henna, senameda.

Trends of utilisation increased highly from 1988-1998 due to fair rainy seasons.

SUDAN

RESOURCE

ECONOMIC VALUE

NWFP

Importance

Trade name

Key species

Part used

Production System

Source

Destination

Quantity, Value

Remarks

Literature

Plants and plant products

Food

1 1 1 1 1 1 2

Nabag Laoub Gongliz Aradeib Gudeim Dom Doleib

Zizphus spp. B.aegyptica Adansonia digittat Tamarindus indica Grewia tenax Hyphaene thebaica Borassus Aethiopum

f f f f f f f

F,O F,O O O O F,P,O F,O

W W W W W W,C W

N N N I N N N

8890 tonnes

also used as fodder

Demand survey 1995*

Fodder

2 2

Acacia Spp. Nabag

Acacia spp. Ziziphus spp.

1,f 1,f

F,P,O F,O

W,C W

N N

National forest inventory 1997

Edible Oils

2 2

Sha B. (Lulu) Laloub

Putyrosperm Parkii Balanities aegyptica

se se

F,O F,P,O

W,C W

N N

first fruiting 12-15 years Launder spp

(IRCC) 1977

Fibres

1

Saaf

Borassus Acthiapum Hyphaene thebaica

1 1

F,O F,P,O

W W,C

N N

6100 tonnes

Tannis

1

Garad

Acacia niltica

se

F,P,O

W,C

N

1020 tonnes

*

Dyestuffs

1

Henna

Lawsonia inermis

1

O

C

N

2925 tonnes

*

SUDAN Cont.
			RESOURCE				ECONOMIC VALUE
NWFP	Import-lance	Trade Name	Key species	Part used	Production system	Source	Destination	Quantity, Value	Remarks		Literature
Plants and plant products
Edible Seed	2	Gimkeel	Cordia africana	sw	F,O	W	N	23
Bamboo	1	Ganna	ox.abyssinjea	st	F,P	W,C	N
Medicinal Plants	1 1 1 1 1 1	Gongliz Aradeib Gudeim Garad Ssenamec. Arak	A. digitata T.s indica Grewia tenax Acacia nilotica Cassia senna Aslvadora persiea	f f f se se P	O O O F,P,O F,O F,P,O	W W W W,C W W,C	N N N N N N	909 tonnes	909 tonnes used as tooth brush
Gums	1 1 1 1	G.arabic (Hashab G.arabic (Talha) G.Ioban G.tartar	A. senegal A. seyal Baswellia papyrifera Sttereculia setigera		F,P,O F,P.O F F	W,C W,C W W	1 1 1 1	1705	Tapping natural exudation		*
Animal and animals Products
Honey Beeswax Silk (under research	2 1						N,1 N,1	exportation of worth 1000 US$ exportation of 14t. Worth 41000 US$ in 1985			Daoud 1998 Isola 1994

Importance: 1) Important on the national level; 2) Important on the local level; 3) Important but not documented; 4) Not important;

5) No information regarding the importance of the given NWFP

Part used; fruit (f); nuts (n); flowers (fl); leaves (1); bark (b); roots φ seeds (se); stem (st); whole plant (p)

Production system: F-natural forest or other wooded land; P - plantation; O - others (e.g.) trees outside forests, agroforestry, home-gardens)Source: W - wild; C - cultivated

Destination: N - national; 1 - international

3. Gum Arabic

Gum Arabic is Sudan's most valuable NWFP. Sudan is the major world producer and exporter of gum Arabic (80%). Approximately 21,000 acres of acacia senegal and acacia seyal are planted annually.

Annual production, exportation, distribution and value of gum Arabic in Sudan (1969/70-1996/97) - Tonnes

Exploitation mainly takes place within the gum belt zone between latitude 10°-14°N. with an area of 520000 km2.

Acacia Senegal (Hashab) and Acacia Seyal (Talha) are growing in natural stands as well as in planted areas.

Gum is collected by tapping in early winter (October/November). The first picking is about 6 weeks after tapping, and several pickings every two weeks. A yield of 300 grams is obtained per tree, per season.

The majority of gum is exploited by small-hold farmers, owning gum orchards and they tap gum themselves, others hire labour within the share cropping system.

The collector cells gum to middlemen who transport to the gum to large markets where it is purchased by the gum Arabic company(G.A.C), which is responsible for clearing, sorting and exporting.

Sudan became the first producer of kibbled gum recently after the installation of new machinery.

The resource of (Acacia senegal, A. seyal) and the grade (kibbled, super siftings) define the export price which averages US$ 6,000 per tonne.